Welcome to theScore's 2020-21 fantasy hockey rankings.

Yahoo uses hits in standard head-to-head leagues and blocks in standard points leagues, so we're adopting both. We've also excluded plus/minus for our rankings since it's an outdated and generally unpredictable statistic. Here's what we're factoring in.

These rankings are based on 12-team leagues and factor in positional value. The value of certain positions can change depending on the size of the league. Positional eligibility is courtesy of Yahoo.

Josh Wegman has been theScore's resident fantasy hockey expert since 2015. Find him on Twitter @JoshWegman_.

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The Ottawa Senators have put pen to paper with forward Tim Stuetzle on a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Sunday.

Ottawa selected the German phenom third overall at the 2020 NHL Draft.

"Tim possesses an exceptional blend of both speed and skill and a playmaking ability that our fans are going to enjoy watching for several years to come," Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said. "He's a dynamic forward who we expect to become a key piece of our roster as we continue trending toward icing an eventual elite-level team."

Stuetzle is currently captaining Germany at the world juniors. He entered Sunday with a goal and an assist over two games in the tournament.

The 18-year-old is capable of playing center, but he's expected to start his NHL career on the wing.

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The Arizona Coyotes traded center Derek Stepan to the Ottawa Senators for a 2021 second-round pick, the team announced Saturday.

The 30-year-old pivot is in the final season of his contract, which carries a $6.5-million cap hit, per CapFriendly. He's only owed $2 million in base salary, though.

Stepan was once a steady offensive producer. In his first eight NHL seasons, he averaged 57 points per 82 games, but his production tailed off in recent years as he tallied 35 points in 2018-19 and 28 points in 70 contests last season.

However, the veteran may very well step in and serve as Ottawa's No. 1 center. The team's other options down the middle are Colin White, Chris Tierney, Artem Anisimov, Logan Brown, Josh Norris, and Nick Paul.

The second-round pick heading to Arizona was originally owned by the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Senators still have their own second-round pick in 2021 and the San Jose Sharks' second-rounder.

The Coyotes were up against the cap before this trade, but they project to have $8.3 million in flexibility once Marian Hossa is placed on long-term injured reserve.

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In the lead-up to the 2021 World Junior Championship, we're taking a look back at each of the 18 Canadian teams to capture the gold medal, culminating Dec. 25 with the start of the latest edition of the tournament.

After losing to the United States in the gold-medal game at the 2017 world juniors, Canada was looking to avenge its predecessors on American soil in Buffalo, New York, at the 2018 tournament.

The roster

*Denotes returning player
All ages are as of the start of the tournament

The tournament

The Canadians opened with a 4-1 victory over a strong Finnish team that had won gold in 2014, 2016, and would win again in 2019. They then toppled Slovakia 6-0 before an outdoor game at New Era Field (now Bills Stadium) in Orchard Park, New York, against the United States.

In front of 44,592 fans - smashing the previous record of 20,380 for a world junior game - Canada squandered leads of 2-0 and 3-1. Wearing Buffalo Bills-themed jerseys, USA scored two third-period goals to force overtime. The Americans ultimately prevailed in the shootout to claim victory.

However, thanks to USA's loss to Slovakia and Canada's 8-0 win over Denmark, the Canadians finished the tournament atop group A. This would prove to be massive. Instead of playing Russia in the quarters and Sweden in the semis, Canada got to beat Switzerland 8-2 in the quarters and Czech Republic 7-2 in the semis. That set up a gold-medal game against the Swedes, which Canada won 3-1 for its 17th gold in tournament history.

The stars

Carter Hart was phenomenal in his second World Junior Championship. Starting six of Canada's seven games, he led the tournament with a 1.81 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage. However, Sweden's Filip Gustavsson was named the tournament's top netminder.

Cale Makar was also a force for Canada, tallying eight points in seven games while being named to the media All-Star team.

Jordan Kyrou and Sam Steel were offensive catalysts, recording 10 and nine points, respectively.

The key moment

The biggest moment of the tournament came from one of Canada's most unheralded players.

Tied 1-1 in the third period with just 1:40 remaining, Tyler Steenbergen re-directed a Conor Timmins point shot to give Canada a late lead. Alex Formenton added an empty-netter 26 seconds later to put the icing on the cake. Watch Steenbergen's winner here.

The tally was Steenbergen's first goal and just his second point of the tournament. He was Canada's only forward without a goal up until that point.

The fallout

The most immediate fallout featured heartbroken Swedish captain Lias Andersson, who threw his silver medal into the crowd.

Canada failed to defend its gold-medal title in 2019, losing in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Finland in overtime. But the nation reached the top of the podium once again in 2020.

While all of the players from this team are still just 21 and 22 years old, a handful of them have already become stars in the NHL. Makar is the reigning Calder Trophy winner, and Hart has already established himself as one of the best young goalies in the league.

Most of the players from this squad are not yet in the NHL, but some will likely make their mark in due time.

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The St. Louis Blues will name forward Ryan O'Reilly the 23rd captain in franchise history, sources told The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford.

An announcement is reportedly expected to be made this coming week.

Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who signed with the Vegas Golden Knights this offseason, last wore the "C" for the Blues.

"He is a good choice," Pietrangelo told Rutherford via text message. "One of the hardest working guys I know. Leads by example every day. Has succeeded in this league for a long time, and for good reason. I was happy to have him by my side for a few years. Great person, teammate, and player!

"He will make a great captain. Good luck to him, no doubt he is the right choice."

The 11-year veteran is as decorated as they come. O'Reilly has already won a Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe Trophy, Selke Trophy, and Lady Byng Trophy. The 29-year-old tallied 61 points in 71 games last season and is considered one of the league's premier two-way centers.

O'Reilly was acquired in a franchise-altering trade with the Buffalo Sabres in July 2018 in exchange for Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka, Tage Thompson, a 2019 first-round pick (Ryan Johnson), and a 2021 second-rounder.

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Although the NHL announced its plan for the upcoming season on Sunday, there are still potential roadblocks north of the border that could complicate the league's intended format.

The Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec have yet to sign off on the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, and Montreal Canadiens resuming play in their home buildings, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.

However, talks are reportedly expected to continue early this coming week.

The Ontario government said Friday it hopes the Leafs and Sens can play the season in Canada.

The Vancouver Canucks have also reportedly not yet received approval from the British Columbia government.

The NHL's plan consists of a North Division, in which all Canadian teams would exclusively play each other. Moving all Canadian teams to the United States, or having all of them play in a single hub in Canada, are two ideas that have been floated around if issues arise. Given the league already announced its realignment, the former seems unlikely now.

The 2020-21 campaign is set to begin Jan. 13, with training camps opening Jan. 3 for teams that played in the 2020 postseason. As a non-playoff team, the Sens can open training camp Dec. 31.

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The British Columbia government remains unwilling to allow NHL teams to travel in and out of the province for games, reports TSN's Ryan Rishaug, who adds discussions are ongoing.

The NHL and players' association reportedly came to a tentative agreement on a 56-game season Friday night. The plan includes an all-Canadian division with each team playing out of its own building, pending approval from health officials.

A report Thursday suggested all seven teams based north of the border could play in the United States if Canadian health officials don't sign off on the proposal.

The San Jose Sharks are reportedly beginning their campaign in Arizona due to Santa Clara County's ban on contact sports. It's plausible that the Vancouver Canucks could follow suit and play in a Canadian city outside of British Columbia.

The NHL's travel plan includes very strict protocols for road teams, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.

Training camps for 2020 postseason clubs, including the Canucks, are set to open Jan. 3. The league is still aiming to begin its season Jan. 13.

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In the lead-up to the 2021 World Junior Championship, we're taking a look back at each of the 18 Canadian teams to capture the gold medal, culminating Dec. 25 with the start of the latest edition of the tournament.

Fresh off its first world junior gold medal in eight years after the 2005 dream team's triumph, Canada was looking to repeat on home soil in British Columbia. However, going back-to-back wouldn't be easy, as there was just one returning player from Canada's loaded 2005 squad on the 2006 team.

The 2005 roster contained just two players under the age of 19. The 2006 squad, meanwhile, featured 11.

The roster

*Denotes returning player
All ages are as of the start of the tournament

The tournament

Despite lacking the star power of the 2005 squad (eight players who suited up for Canada at the 2010 or 2014 Olympics anchored that team), the 2006 edition of Team Canada was nearly just as dominant, even with just one future Olympian in Jonathan Toews - who was still 17 and draft-eligible - on its roster.

Canada went 4-0-0 in the round robin, defeating Finland 5-1, Switzerland 4-3, Norway 4-0, and the United States 3-2 (although Canada's game-winning goal against the USA was an empty-netter because the Americans needed a win to earn first in Group A).

The Canadians played their best as the tournament proceeded, beating Finland 4-0 in the semis before taking down the Evgeni Malkin-led Russians 5-0 in the gold-medal game.

The stars

This tournament is probably best remembered as the Justin Pogge show. The Toronto Maple Leafs' third-rounder posted a 1.00 goals-against average, a tournament-best .952 save percentage, and three shutouts while starting all six games for Canada.

However, partially because the awards are voted on prior to the gold-medal game, Finland's Tuukka Rask was named the tournament's top goaltender. Rask, another Maple Leafs draft pick, was traded six months later because Pogge was deemed Toronto's goalie of the future. It was a terrible, shortsighted decision, but that's how well Pogge played in this tournament.

Other contributors also propelled Canada to the top of the podium. The shutdown pairing of Ryan Parent and Marc Staal was fantastic, with the latter named the event's top defenseman despite recording just one assist.

The rest of Canada's blue line was also exceptional, as returnee Cam Barker and the late Luc Bourdon - who was named to the Media All-Star Team - each tallied six points in seven games. Kris Letang also notched four points.

Canada didn't boast much firepower up front, but Steve Downie provided plenty of heart, grit, and physicality, and he was also named to the Media All-Star Team with six points in as many contests.

Lastly, head coach Brent Sutter should be considered a star. This squad was incredibly well-coached, especially on the defensive end.

The key moment

There wasn't a specific key moment in this tournament, as the New Year's Eve game against the United States lacked drama, and Canada blew out its opponents in the semifinals and finals.

However, Canada's biggest key to victory was somehow shutting down Malkin in the gold-medal game. The 19-year-old was easily the best player in the world outside the NHL. The 2004 second overall pick registered 47 points in 46 games in the Russian Superleague (later known as the KHL) that season, and a year later he won the Calder Trophy with 85 points over 78 NHL games.

Russia entered the gold-medal contest with a 5-0-0 record and a plus-19 goal differential (Canada's differential was only plus-14), and the team was fresh off a 5-1 win over the United States in the semis. Malkin came into the matchup with four goals and six assists in five games, but Canada completely shut him down.

The fallout

The 2006 victory marked the second of five straight world junior gold medals for Canada - the second time the nation has won five straight. A remarkable 11 returning players took to the ice for the 2007 squad that won gold in Sweden.

Several players on the 2006 team have produced long pro careers, including active NHLers Toews, Comeau, Cogliano, Letang, Russell, Staal, and Dubnyk. As for Pogge, he played in just seven NHL games, registering a .844 save percentage and a 4.36 goals-against average.

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Mitch Marner has a strong idea what kind of teammate the Toronto Maple Leafs are getting in Joe Thornton - all thanks to Patrick Marleau.

Marner - and Auston Matthews - formed a strong friendship with Marleau during his two years in Blue and White. As a longtime teammate of Thornton's with the San Jose Sharks, Marleau gave Marner the rundown on Jumbo Joe.

"Throughout Patty's time here, he's talked to me and Auston a good amount about Jumbo, just says ... (he) keeps everything light, has a great time, but on the ice, he's a competitive guy. He plays hard, and he wants to win," Marner told Sportsnet's Tim and Sid on Tuesday.

"I'm excited. I mean, everything I've heard about him, he just seems like an unbelievable dude, and Patty's always relayed that back to us. I'm excited to get talking to him, and as soon as he signed, I sent him a big text saying, super excited to have him, and I think he's going to do a lot."

The Maple Leafs signed Thornton to a one-year contract for the league minimum of $700,000 this offseason. The 41-year-old tallied 31 points in 70 games with the Sharks last season, but he's just one year removed from a 51-point campaign.

Thornton also played 12 games with HC Davos of the Swiss League this year and registered 11 points. He left Davos on Monday to head to Toronto for the Leafs training camp.

While Thornton projects to serve as Toronto's third-line center, it remains to be seen what kind of impact he can still have on the ice. Off the ice, however, there's no questioning Thornton's character and leadership.

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Vegas Golden Knights forward Max Pacioretty believes his experience playing in Montreal has taught him how to handle outside pressure.

"I played in Montreal for 10 years, so this is lightweight stuff," Pacioretty said Tuesday regarding a recent report that suggested Vegas is looking to trade him, according to David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "I've heard a lot worse. ... This is nothing."

Team owner Bill Foley denied the rumors, but the Golden Knights are nearly $1 million over the salary cap, and Pacioretty's contract carries a $7-million hit for three more seasons.

Pacioretty's production would be difficult to replace. The 32-year-old led the Golden Knights in goals (32), points (66), and shots (307) in 71 games last season.

The former Canadiens captain played under constant trade rumors during his final season in Montreal. Pacioretty insisted he never wanted to leave, but Habs general manager Marc Bergevin claims he asked for a trade. Pacioretty was eventually dealt to Vegas in September 2018 for Nick Suzuki, Tomas Tatar, and a second-round pick.

The Golden Knights have also reportedly explored moving Jonathan Marchessault and Marc-Andre Fleury.

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